Electronic device for personalized control by biometric fingerprint identification

ABSTRACT

A device able to execute the customer identification, the administration of his operative credit and to provide methods for the control of compulsive gambling and fostering customer loyalty to be applied in gambling, entertainment and skill electronic machines. It comprises a unit constituted by an embedded PC, a fingerprint detector, a numeric keyboard and a LCD display. It is connected through a LAN interface to a central server for the biometric identification of the player, (from a password entered into the numeric keyboard and his digital fingerprint), and for the information of his statement of account. It is connected to the electromechanical gambling machine through a RS-232 interface and using the machine communication protocol, enabling the use of the machine according to the credits informed in the statement of account. By using the same protocol the information related to the gambling amounts is obtained, said data used by the software to carry out the control of the compulsive gambling and fostering customer loyalty. The embedded PC is connected to the detector and the keyboard through a RS-232 interface, and to the display through a LCD interface. The LCD display is used to show the player his statement of account. By identifying the player, the credit is blocked in the remaining machines, allowing the player to play only in the machine he is operating at that moment.

The present invention relates to an electronic device for personalized control by biometric fingerprint identification, especially made to entitle the use of any type of electronic machine, such as those used in casino and gambling halls in order to perform gambling, entertainment and skill, as well as to administer the operative credit used by the player, avoiding the handling of chips, coins and tickets, the invention also contemplates the application of such device to generate additional information resulting useful for various purposes.

Specifically, the present invention encompasses an electronic control device made from a novel mechanical resource specially designed to read and pick up the user fingerprint, sending the corresponding signal to a command and driving “software”, by which it is possible to use the machine enabled to that purpose and also others in order to bring additional performances that are not possible with the electronic and command resources presently available in this type of machines.

Indeed, the inventive control device allows the management of money at the gambling halls in a quicker and more organic way as the use of coins and chips is removed from the beginning for the customer.

Money enters the internal network of the gambling room and the user/player knows that he may use any machine, being entitled to play by just putting his finger on the reader display. If he wins, his available balance increases and, if he loses, his balance decreases, but he has no risks, as he doesn't show or manage quantities of coins or chips.

To install this device in a gambling room increases in a certain way, the important service performed by the administrative company, as it makes possible to get additional information, related with each user or customer, for example for the control of certain excesses such as the usually named “compulsive gambling” which is just an uncontrolled addiction to gambling.

It will be also useful to establish loyalty rewards through special scores awarded to habitual players who turn into preferential customers.

The invention relates to a combination of means made in order to get a new result, being this combination surprising and unpredictable even for an expert in the art. Accordingly, besides being new, the constructive and functional design thereof shows a clear inventive activity, thus meeting the conditions required by law to be considered an invention patent.

PREVIOUS ART

No gambling and skill electronic machines are known in the market, either those running interactive video, or the electromechanical machines that are only gambling machines usually named “slot machines”, that include an electronic control device of the above mentioned type.

Usually, a person playing a slot machine purchases the right to play by inserting coins or chips.

Some machines, independently of the enabling resource, include the service of providing chips or coins by inserting a paper.

In the case of the “slot machines”, it is usual that when the player wins, the slot machine pays the player coins or chips of internal use in each casino or gambling room.

With the advance of the technology and the appearance of electronic reader means, this type of use has developed in such a way that coins and chips are being replaced with prepaid and rechargeable magnetic cards or else receipt “tickets”.

Both alternatives have the advantage of providing the customer with a safe, quick and easy to bring and change means of payment.

In the case of magnetic cards, also usually named “cashless” system, it avoids boring tasks that employ many people, who may be assigned other and more productive functions within the same casino. By diminishing the collection and counting of coins or tickets, the casino will be able to work more efficiently and quickly so having enough time to assist the customers.

It should be noted that in accordance with these prepaid systems, the customer should keep a receipt thereby causing the risk of possible losses, thefts, or undue duplicates.

NOVELTY AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION Main Object

Therefore, it may be confirmed that no resources or systems are known that enable the player's unmistakable identification; up to date only the receipt to be used to play, is identified.

Therefore, with the electronic device for personalized control by biometric identification of the present invention, the administrative company of the gambling room or casino may install a gambling control system that keeps confidentiality and privacy and also looks after the gamblers' health in case of possible pathologies associated to gambling.

This functional advantage is presently of a great importance, as the control authorities and gambling companies are really concerned with the necessity of applying technical solutions enabling them to carry out protection and prevention policies to attack this type of disorders or pathologies.

To that end, the inventive electronic device may identify each player in an accurate and unquestionable manner, as the fingerprint is unique and non-transferable, assuring, at the same time, the due confidentiality about the use of the obtained information.

Taking this information, it is possible to analyze the gambling data and detect the activity of problematic and pathological players, being possible to implement automatic strategies for prevention and active control upon said players.

In other words, with the device encompassed by the present invention, it is possible to give an organic, sure and systemized solution to most abnormalities established in the “Primera Jornada Argentina de Juego Responsable” and “V Jornada Argentina de Juego Patológico” carried on in Buenos Aires on Apr. 11^(th), 2007.

The inventive device also allows the possibility of bringing new prizes and gambling bonus, individually, that are related to scores obtained by the same player in previous days, and many other actions to foster customer loyalty that are only possible to be carried out by means of a undoubted identification of each player.

The invention refers to an electronic device capable of coordinating the operations of the different command and driving components that constitute this type of electromechanical machines.

The device allows users to manage the touch screen and the fingerprint reader, to efficiently interact with the electromechanical gambling machine wherein it is installed, duly connected to a central server.

Therefore, the main object of this invention is an electronic device for personalized control, by biometric fingerprint identification; said device comprising a unit constituted by an embedded PC, a LCD display, which may be touch sensitive, a fingerprint reader and a numeric keyboard (in case the display is not touch sensitive).

Said unit is connected to both a gambling electromechanical machine, in order to carry out the load and collection of credits, and also to a server which carries out the biometric identification and provides the unit with the information entered into the player's account.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

In order to specify the above mentioned advantages, to which many others may be introduced by the skilled experts in the art or users, and in order to facilitate the understanding of the building, constitutive and functional characteristics of the inventive electronic device, a preferred example of embodiment is described below, and schematically illustrated without any specified scale by the enclosed figures. The following example is not intended to completely define or to otherwise limit the scope of the invention, but is merely intended to explain and illustrate the basic concept of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a scheme representing the components and internal connections that constitute the unit of this invention, in the case where a numeric keyboard is used.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view that shows the same unit of the previous figure, inserted in an electromechanical gambling machine, wherein a scheme of the connections of the unit to the machine and to the central server is also represented, in the case where a numeric keyboard is used.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail that shows the same unit of the previous figures inserted in an electromechanical gambling machine, this time in the case where said machine is used from a touch screen.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view that shows the front board of the unit, in a preferred disposition in the case where a touch screen is used.

FIG. 5 is also a perspective view that shows the front board of the unit of the previous figure but observed from another side.

FIG. 6 is also a perspective view that shows the same front board of the unit of the previous figures, partially opened, in the case of a touch screen.

FIG. 7 is also a perspective view that shows the same front board of the unit of the previous figure, partially opened, in the case of a touch screen, observed from another side.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a detail representing the fingerprint detector assembly that includes the electronic device of this invention.

FIG. 9 is perspective view of the same fingerprint detector represented in the previous figure.

For clarifying purposes, in each figure, equal numbers and reference letters correspond to the same or equivalent parts or elements that constitute the assembly, in accordance with the example chosen for the present explanation of the inventive control electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As specifically represented by FIG. 1, the electronic device for personalized control by biometric fingerprint identification of the present invention is comprised of an embedded PC indicated under global reference (7), a fingerprint reader (3), a LCD display (1) and an optional numeric keyboard (5).

As regards internal connections, the embedded PC is connected to the keyboard through a RS-232 interface (6), to the fingerprint reader (3) through a RS-232 interface (4), and to the LCD display (1) through the corresponding LCD interface (2).

FIG. 2 shows the unit represented in the previous figure having the corresponding connections to be connected to the central server of the electromechanical gambling machine (8) through a RS-232 interface (9) and to a central server (10) through the corresponding LAN interface (11).

Under the foregoing conditions, the player begins using the machine by entering the password and his fingerprint. Said information is sent to the server, said server makes the player identification and returns data to his account, which is blocked so that said account may only be used in that machine.

Data account is informed to the user through the LCD display, and money is credited by the electromechanical gambling machine the player is operating; to that end, the standard command protocol of the machine is used.

While the client is playing, the unit gets the amounts of money played during each gambling action. Said information is stored and will be used by software especially designed to carry out the active control of the player behavior (compulsive gambling).

The same stored information may be used by another software especially designed to award prizes and bonus related to methods of fostering customers loyalty, such as to bring new gambling options as a prize for reaching a certain score.

When the customer decides to collect the credits obtained, the machine that he is using shows the remaining balance, and such information is also stored by the unit.

In preferred operations, the mentioned information is sent to the server together with the data referred to the gambling amount so that the account may be updated and the machine duly unblocked, remaining free to be used by a new player.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, it is shown that for the LCD display assembly (1) and also the fingerprint reader (3) a support plate (12) may be used, fixed by mechanical means to the most appropriate place of the front of the machine where it is applied.

It is also appreciated that said fingerprint reader (3) presents a frontal translucent plate (14) designed to receive the player finger, while said display (1) is protected with a corresponding external lid (13).

FIGS. 6 and 7 accurately show that the referred fingerprint reader (3) is projected to the interior, from the front of the machine, being housed in an opened cavity defined in the body of the referred support plate (12).

Said fingerprint reader (3) precisely comprises a mechanism specially designed to carry out this function, such as that which may be appreciated in detail in FIGS. 8 and 9, built from the plate (15) which is rotatory assembled over a horizontal axis (16), also assembled on the top, to the support plate. Said plate is supported by a spring (17) in such a way that, with the minimum finger pressure made by the user by putting his finger on the mentioned frontal translucent plate (14) (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5), the reader means that identifies the user is activated and sends the corresponding signal to the PC (7) (shown in FIG. 1).

Indeed, when the user presses his finger on said translucent plate (14) placed in the area of recognition of the fingerprint reader (3), the plate (15) containing said reader is moved, and is disposed supported by a spring (17). The movement of said plate causes a switch to be activated so as to start the mentioned shot operation of the fingerprint.

The image of the captured fingerprint is processed, and a trace is obtained which is compared, based on an algorithm, to the stored trace corresponding to the user of the numeric password previously entered. 

1. An electronic device for personalized control by biometric fingerprint identification suitable for being incorporated to an electronic gambling, entertainment or skill machine, as well as for administering the operative credit the player uses and also generate additional information useful for other purposes such as to attack the compulsive gambling and introduce bonus to foster customer loyalty, comprising a unit constituted by an embedded PC, a numeric keyboard, a fingerprint detector and a LCD display.
 2. An electronic device for personalized control in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the unit is connected both to a gambling machine, in order to carry out the accounts administration, and also to a central server, said server performs the biometric identification and provides the unit with the information of the statement of the player's account.
 3. An electronic device for personalized control in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the unit is incorporated to an electromechanical gambling machine.
 4. An electronic device for personalized control in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the biometric fingerprint identification, processed and executed by the central server, receives information from a fingerprint reader, having a finger receipt translucent plate, flexibly assembled to a support plate installed in the front panel of the machine.
 5. An electronic device for personalized control in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the central server carrying out the biometric identification from the information provided from the fingerprint reader, uses this data to process and command actions for the control of compulsive gambling.
 6. An electronic device for personalized control in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the central server carrying out the biometric identification from the information provided from the fingerprint reader, uses this data to process and command actions to foster customer loyalty. 